I’m super excited about this pattern. After stubbornly resisting for years, I decided to try my hand at making a nearly seamless sweater. Knit from the bottom up in one piece, then separated at the armholes for the fronts and back, the only seam this sweater has is the 3-needle BO at the shoulders. The sleeves are picked up directly from the armhole and short rows are worked to shape the set in sleeve cap before the remainder of the sleeve is worked down to the cuff in the round. Like several other designs of mine, Alexandria was done in conjunction with the wonderful folks at One Planet Yarn and Fiber, who donated the lustrous Woolie Silk 3 ply the sweater requires and on whose website you can find the kit.

The path to the cardigan started out a little rocky. Originally, I was going to work this in the DK/Sport weight Sheep Shop 3. But after working up a swatch and knitting halfway up to the armholes, the company abruptly closed up shop, and we were forced to find an alternative. The Woolie Silk is a little heavier gauged than the Sheep Shop 3, but some quick swatching confirmed it would still be possible to work the rather large texture and eyelet motif and not have it swallow up the entire sweater. I had used the Woolie Silk in my Varese Hoodie and loved it. It’s a subtly dyed yarn, available in nearly solids (for those who like their yarn color conservative like me) and in more variegated palettes. But best of all, I love how the Woolie Silk, with its 30% silk content, really glows while at the same time retaining all the wonderful properties of wool.

I started working on the Woolie Silk version of this cardigan while visiting Gudrun in October. The fabulous Ysolda also happened to be visiting and both she and Gudrun were absolute lifesavers when it came to figuring out the collar.

In my head, I wanted a cardigan with wide bands that flowed into a generous scoop neck. The focus of the sweater would be on that dramatic band and collar (and cuffs); with the rest of the body in plain Stockinette. But I hadn’t thought through exactly how I would ensure the collar wouldn’t be too floppy. Obviously, I couldn’t just pick up sts for the collar and knit straight to the width desired and then bind off. Since the lower edge of the collar would have a much greater circumference than the topmost edge, decreases had to be worked somehow. Ysolda and Gudrun suggested mimicking the decreases you’d make for a yoked sweater (a garment I’ve never attempted before and therefore was a little leery of). But they were so clear with their description of how yoked sweaters generally worked as well as some specific suggestions pertaining to the stitch pattern I was using; that when I got home, it just took a little bit of geometry before a plan was hatched.

The other little wrinkle that happened around this time was that my model, the lovely Jess, became pregnant and I wasn’t sure when she’d be up for modeling for me again. I had grown so reliant on her and her husband’s unfailingly excellent photography and modeling (at one point, I was even thinking of roping Vitaly into modeling a men’s design for me); that her sudden unavailability left me in a slight panic.

Several emails later, Parikha was kind enough to agree to model and photograph my knits for me; and from the results, I think it’s quite evident that I really lucked out big time. I’ve long been an admirer of Parikha’s photos on her blog and her flickr stream. She has a keen eye, a talent for composition, and as a knitter, she really knows how to photograph knits to show them off to their best advantage. Plus, she’s a rocking stylist. Just look at the gorgeous photos of her completed Demi or Central Park Hoodie, the latter piece inspiring Eunny Jang to tap her for a modeling gig in the Summer 2008 issue of Interweave Knits.

I’ll leave you with a few more of Parikha’s wonderful photos. Used here with her permission.

Connie, this may be the most beautiful sweater I’ve ever clapped eyes on. This is exactly what I’ve been dreaming of – feminine, flattering, unique, virtually seamless and frickin’ deliciously GORGEOUS! The kind of sweater you never want to take off. Thank you – you are my idol.

Connie – I love your ‘Alexandria’ pattern, and have just purchased it, along with your ‘Austin Hoodie’ pattern, from Ravelry. Thanks so much for creating these beautiful sweater designs.

Victoria January 23rd, 2011 @ 3:23 pm

Hello Connie,

I am a fairly experienced knitter and was delighted to find your pattern
for the Alexandria Cardigan in a local yarn shop. I was quite taken with your
beautiful design and the fact that the entire sleeve is so well shaped. The
upper arms do not look like they are sized for hams, a problem so prevalent
in so many patterns I have seen!

Question/Problem 1
I have begun knitting the cardigan, but am entirely flummoxed by the instructions for
the “cluster3″ stitch. After 2 sts are put on cable needle and held in front,
k1, “knit 2nd stitch on cable needle” (is this the second stitch that was put
on the cable needle?) “and leave on needle” (very difficult to do, almost impossible)
“knit 1st st on cable needle” (is this the first stitch put on the cable needle?),
“drop both stitches off cable needle.”

If knitting the second stitch first, should the cable needle be turned, to reverse
the order of the stitches knitted? Is there an easy way to leave the second knitted
stitch on the cable needle before going on to knit the first stitch? At this point I am
really fighting with my yarn and it looks all bunched up as though I am doing
something wrong.

Question 2
I have purchased from your web site your pattern for the Versailles Shell.
I have never knitted with linen yarn.The owner of my local yarn shop is trying to
convince me not to use linen yarn because, she says, it is so stiff and difficult to work with.
But the color choices of the yarn that you have used for this pattern are glorious, and I am
willing to try. Can you give me any feedback and suggestions based on your experience
working with this Louet Euroflax Sport Weight LInen? I have read that some knitters even
wash and use hair conditioner on this yarn before knitting with it, to soften it a bit.

I look forward to hearing from you!
Victoria

Victoria January 23rd, 2011 @ 3:25 pm

I am a fairly experienced knitter and was delighted to find your pattern
for the Alexandria Cardigan in a local yarn shop. I was quite taken with your
beautiful design and the fact that the entire sleeve is so well shaped. The
upper arms do not look like they are sized for hams, a problem so prevalent
in so many patterns I have seen!

Question/Problem
I have begun knitting the cardigan, but am entirely flummoxed by the instructions for
the “cluster3″ stitch. After 2 sts are put on cable needle and held in front,
k1, “knit 2nd stitch on cable needle” (is this the second stitch that was put
on the cable needle?) “and leave on needle” (very difficult to do, almost impossible)
“knit 1st st on cable needle” (is this the first stitch put on the cable needle?),
“drop both stitches off cable needle.”

If knitting the second stitch first, should the cable needle be turned, to reverse
the order of the stitches knitted? Is there an easy way to leave the second knitted
stitch on the cable needle before going on to knit the first stitch? At this point I am
really fighting with my yarn and it looks all bunched up as though I am doing
something wrong.

Victoria January 23rd, 2011 @ 3:31 pm

I have begun knitting this cardigan, but am entirely flummoxed by the instructions for the “cluster3″ stitch .If knitting the second stitch first, should the cable needle be turned, to reverse the order of the stitches knitted? Is there an easy way to leave the second knitted stitch on the cable needle before going on to knit the first stitch?

mireille Giroux April 11th, 2011 @ 5:21 pm

Is there someone who could explain me how to knit the cluster3 pattern in Alexandra. After putting the 2 stitches on the side, it says K1. Knit one of the 2 stitches or else….
Thank you

Sandra Andrew March 27th, 2013 @ 2:39 pm

I have been trying with no luck to make Alexandria – the dot stiches are not the same on each side and the eyelet is different on each side as well. I am using the Dot Stich worked flat and then the Eyelet cellular worked flat